Succulents and More™

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Kyle and I stopped at the Ruth Bancroft Garden in Walnut Creek for a long overdue visit. The timing was perfect because the garden looked stunning. As we all know, this doesn’t just happen as if by magic – it’s the result of the hard work and dedication of the RBG’s garden crew and volunteers. Kudos to them for all they do. Too often, their efforts are taken for granted. On that note, let’s dive in. This is a photo-heavy post so get comfy in your chair/couch/bed or wherever you may be reading this. Spectacular Agave ovatifolia ‘Vanzie’ right inside the entrance This bed, one of the newer ones, has become one of my favorites. I’d be so thrilled if this were in my own garden. This marvelous blob of green is Casuarina ‘Cousin It’, a prostrate form of the Australian swamp oak. In spite of the cultivar name, it’s unrelated to Acacia ‘Cousin Itt’ (with two t’s). Agave utahensis var. eborispina growing in a crevice between two rocks. The yellow flowers on

The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden is one of the great treasures of the Sacramento area. It’s seamlessly integrated into the campus and is open 24/7 – no fixed hours and no entrance fees. It’s the perfect place to go for a stroll, run, walk the dog, take a picnic. Because of that, it’s used as much by the public as by the students. Near the western end of the Arboretum is the Arboretum Teaching Nursery . That’s where staff, students, and community volunteers grow plants both for the Arboretum collections and for the wildly popular plant sales. Typically, there are six plant sales a year: three in the spring and three in the fall. The first sale of the season will be this coming Saturday, September 30 , from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The first two hours are for members only; the public can shop from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Members not only get in early, they also get a 10% discount on all plant purchases. You can join online or in person at the door. Last week, nursery manager Taylor Lewis w